Namibia is a state in the southwest of Africa. It borders with Angola and Zambia in the north, with Botswana in the east, with the Republic of South Africa in the south and southeast. Its western coasts are washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The area of the country is 824,300 sq km.

Relief. The best part of the country is occupied by the plateau of the average 900-1,500 m high. Westwards it lowers towards the Kalahari Desert; in the east it abruptly ends in a steep terrace near the seaside Namib Desert. Inner hilly plateaus occupy about half of the country; here the agriculture is concentrated. In the western part of the plateaus the highest peak of Namibia -Konigstein Mountain (2,606 m) - is located.

Rivers. Namibian rivers are few, and the majority of them fill up only in some periods. Dafs (oshanah) fill up in the raining season and may flood up to 60% of the adjacent territories. The major Namibian rivers are the Orange, the Fish River which has the second widest and longest canyon in the world after the Great Canyon in the USA, the Okavango.

National Parks and Reserves. Namibia has numerous national parks, such as Etosha, Waterberg Plateau, Kaudom, Caprivi, Nabim-Naukluft, etc.

Sightseeing. The Namib Desert is the main place of attraction in Namibia. It is the oldest desert in the world, of estimated 60-80 mln years. It stretches over 1,600 km along the coast and astonishes with the diversity of its scenery- brown eroded rocks, numerous canyons of dried up rivers, constantly moving giant dunes and vast cobble moors alternate with tiny oases.

Otjiwarongo city (“beautiful”) is used as the transit point when going to the national parks. It is worth of attention due to its Cheetah Preservation Centre with the sheepdogs farm and the only crocodile farm in the country.

Damaraland is an uninhabited and mysterious beautiful wild area to the southwest of Otjiwarongo. The highest mountain ranges in the country (the Brandberg Massif, the Konigstein, the Spitzkopp and the Pondox) are next to spacious plains. Dafs set off by surprisingly luxuriant greenery go through waterless sands of the desert, and volcanis laccoliths Barnt Mountain and Organ Pipes are cut by the waterfalls of rivers originated out of the left field.

Ondangwa and Oshakati cities to the north f the Etosha National Park are major trade centres and wonderful places for getting to know the Owambo people`s culture. The Skeleton Coast is an exotic region stretching along the whole of the northern coastline of the country. This part of the waterline, starting to the north of Swakompund, is a long strip of coastline plains covered with dunes, rocky massifs and ancient volcanic lots.

Hrutfountain (“a big fountain”) is a small town in the north of the country, founded by the Geramn settlers at the end of the XIX century. This quiet place is worldwide known for being close to the place of the fall of the greatest Hobe meteorite which has preserved nicely.

The central part of the state lies on the vast homonymous plateau that eases the heat and favours the development of industry, agriculture and tourism.

The capital of the country – Windhoek – lies at the altitude of 1,650 m above sea level between Auas and Eros Mountains. The climate here is quite moderate and the precipitation is abundant according to the local measure, thus Windhoek is considered the “greenest” city in the country. The city owes its reputation of the “green capital” to a large water sports complex in Jean Jonker Road, Wernhill Park, Park Mall, Pioneer Park, and numerous small park zones.

Windhoek is surrounded by numerous parks – Okapuka, Melrose, Dan Vilhun, etc. – where safari and wild fauna observations are organized, as well as hunting the allowed for shooting species.

Rehoboth, a small town to the south of the capital, was founded around hot mineral springs. Another interesting place is the crater of the ancient extinct volcano Boukkaros more than 2,000 m in diameter that is next to the main highway from Winhoek to the “capital of the South” Keetmanshoop.

In Keetmanshoop one can visit the Rhine Mission Church (the XIX century) where the Keetmanshoop Museum is located. There is also the national monument Quiver Tree Forest and the Giants’ Playground - a geological phenomenon consisting of huge boulders piled in the form of a pyramid.

Wallfish Bay is the main port and the largest industrial centre of the country30 km to the south of Swakompund. Dune Seven, the highest dune in the region, Wallfish Bay where large schools of whales are often observed, the birds reserve of the Ramser Site where nest more than 50 species of birds are the places of interest of the city.

One should not forget to visit also abandoned towns and diamond mines to the south of Luderitz – Elizabeth Bay, Pomona, Bogenfels and the famous ghost town Kolmanskop. Ai-Ais deserves special attention for possessing hot springs and the beginning of the Fish River Canyon considered the second largest in Africa after the Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia.

Climate. The climate of Namibia is tropical, mostly very arid. The aridity is determined by the predominance of eastern winds that lose the moisture crossing the high plateaus of the south of Africa and the influence of the cold Bengal Stream. The average temperature of the hottest month (January) varies from +18°С on the coastline to +27°С in the Kalahari desert; that of the coldest - from +12°С to +16°С in the same regions. The precipitation is inconstant and varies from 10-50 mm on the coastline to 500-700 mm in the extreme northeast of the country.